29/04/2026
Oh my, this...THIS shoot is a perfect example of why I do what I do.
Cindy came in for a shoot last year, and she timed it so that her mum, who was visiting from Vietnam, could be part of the day.
And what a day we had together!
Both ladies did Frocktober sessions (where I make a dress on you on the spot -- the last photo is in the "mock frock" I made for Cindy's mum), and then we did some more photos of them together in their own outfits.
The really special thing about this shoot was the connection with Cindy's mum. She and I don't share a language, and yet we bonded instantly... maybe a shared sense of both being motherless mums??... I'm not sure what it was, but it was as if we'd known each other for years. And she's such a gracious, caring woman. Her love for Cindy was palpable and it was clear that despite living so far apart from one another, they are incredibly close.
Cindy lives quite a way from my studio, so I arranged to have her folio box of images shipped to her. Here's what she said when she received it:
"I just wanted to say a huge thank you for the beautiful photos from our Frocktober shoot, they arrived this morning and wow! They were quite big and heavy (so heavy that Mum laughed and said there’s no way we could have carried them home ourselves!), but so carefully packaged and absolutely stunning.
"The images themselves are just gorgeous and the small photo book was such a lovely surprise. Every photo feels so thoughtful and full of care. You captured my mum so beautifully and these are memories I know I’ll cherish forever. Being able to do this together for such an important cause made it even more special."
Many of you know that my mum died well before I had children of my own, and I have only one photo of Mum and me together, so mother-daughter shoots are particularly precious experiences for me. I always feel so privileged to be able to give them some tangible memento of the bond they share.
And if the photos I create become memories that will be cherished forever, well then my job is done and my heart is full.
Thank you for your kind words, Cindy.
HMUA: